A great discussion has arisen on the Solomonic Group about some of the harsh realities of working with the Angels and spirits of the grimoires. I thought you would find my recent post on the subject interesting- and you can read the original post to which the following is a reply here:

Wow, Frater… you have learned what other Solomonic mages inevitably learn: the Angels and spirits of the grimoires demand *a lot* from those of us who call upon them.

And it’s not just about working with demons – even the Angels can bite. It’s not a value judgement, nor a reason to avoid the grimoires like the plague. However, if someone is looking for magick to make their life easy and happy – they should look elsewhere. For the demons, Angels, spirits, and intelligences of the grimoires, you have to be (or become) a strong and hardened individual.

I have experienced this first hand more than once. The biggest one was not a house fire, but an incident where I was attacked with a knife. The man’s excuse was robbery, but I am convinced his intention was to kill me. Thankfully, the voice of my Guardian Angel was with me through the entire ordeal – and by following Her instructions from one moment to the next, I not only survived but was able to disarm the attacker and cut him up pretty bad.

That attack came just days (less than two weeks IIRC) after I called upon the Archangel Iophiel for help with my living conditions. After the attack, I suddenly found very Jupiterian things occuring in my life. I was suddnely a hero – not just to my peers but also to the executives in the company where I worked. (Jupiter can grant you honour and goodwill among folks in positions of authority.) I suddenly found myself with brand new clothes, glasses and other things that I had been unable to afford for a while. And when my boss was transfered to another location (only a week or two after the attack), she refused to move unless she could take me with her. That resulted in a dramatic increase in my available work hours, and thus a larger check every payday. Hell, folks even brought me food and other things free of charge while my stitches healed! 🙂

Now I am sure there are those who will have a hard time accepting that asking an Angel for help could result in a violent attempt on your life. Of course, those who have worked with Angels (or at least read the Old Testament) know better.

Iophiel wasn’t being evil to me – in fact I think it was just the opposite. For me, it resulted in all of the above-listed Jupitarian benefits (and more). Not to mention the changes it made within me – having lived through and even triumphed in a life-or-death situation like that. Thus it brought me closer to what Jupiter embodies. (Think of the kind of person Zeus would require you to be in order to hang out with him.)

Also, it was unanimously agreed, had *anyone* other than myself been there that night, they would have been killed. Thus, Iophiel was merely asking me to do my job as a shaman – to protect my community and take the harsh shit onto myself – in payment for the benefits I was about to recieve.

Of course, this is an extreme example. I’ve worked with Iophiel for many many years. He always comes through, and only that once did it result in something so unpleasant. But then again, I do not believe I had ever asked Iophiel to make such a dramatic change in my life before. (I didn’t ask him for money to pay off a few bills, but to change my life-situation entirely.) Plus, Iophiel knew from the start that my attacker would not succeed. Thus one can argue that- from the Angelic standpoint- my life was never actually in danger.

What is most important to see in this story is that the Angel changed who I am- both to myself and to those around me. By doing that he changed my station in my community. And because of that I got what I asked for/needed. Those who want the Angels or spirits to simply let them win the lottery or be awarded large sums of cash should keep that well in mind.

As for the infernal spirits – I think I’ve posted here before about what happened when I accidently let the Abramelin demons get out of control once. (Flies, boils, money problems and more – right out of the Book of Job!) Both Frater RO and Abraham the Jew are correct: the demons are NOT little pet dogs for us to play with. They are bigger and badder than you think, and your well-being is not their slightest concern.

4 responses to “What it Takes to be a Solomonic Mage”

Beautiful story, and totally in line with what I’ve discovered. Working with angels requires me to step up and be more of a community leader; demons seem to require me to be more selfish. But stepping into community roles and being with people leads to me bringing good stuff to other people as well as my self: the angels help me be a happier, more honorable and honored person; whereas demons don’t do much for me except exactly what I ask for, and usually a fair bit of bad stuff along with what I get.

My path has just begun and is simple, however, I find changes occur for me as well. However, very differently. Something that I have seen discussed too much is the emotional impact that happens along the way. Sometimes the desperate loneliness to the disdain for modern society and it’s mores. This then eventually begins to wrap around to an apathy, that then becomes engendered with some alacrity and an ability to step away form the world, while being a part of it.